The present invention relates to marine accessories, and more particularly to a dinghy lift for a boat.
It is common for boats of medium or larger size to carry a dinghy as a tender, for example, to travel between the boat and shore. With sailboats, the dinghy is often towed behind the boat, but with powerboats the dinghy is preferably carried out of the water where it will have less impact on boat performance. There are a variety of mechanisms for carrying a dinghy out of the water. Perhaps the most common of these is a davit. A davit is a small crane-like device that is mounted near the side of the boat. A typical davit includes a hoist for lifting the dinghy out of the water and either holding the dinghy above the water or placing it on the deck of the boat for storage. With many powerboats, one or two davits are located near the stern on or adjacent to the swim platform. This permits the dinghy to be suspended over or placed upon the swim platform for storage. Although davits provide an effective mechanism for lifting and lowering a dinghy, they suffer from a number of disadvantages. First, they occupy space on the deck of the boat. This is a particular acute problem because of the limited deck space that is available on a boat. Second, they are commonly placed at the stern of the boat and therefore may interfere with use of the swim platform. Third, davits are considered aesthetically displeasing by many boat owners. These problems are compounded in that davits are typically permanently mounted to the boat and cannot easily be removed when not in use.
To address these problems, it is known to provide a boat with a moving swim platform that functions as a dinghy lift. The swim platform can be lowered into the water to load and unload a dinghy or raised for storage of the dinghy. Although the moving swim platform eliminates the need for bulky and unsightly davits, it suffers from a number of disadvantages. First, moving swim platforms typically require significant modification to the boat and are therefore relatively expensive. Further, when stored, the dinghy occupies the swim platform making it unavailable for other uses.
The aforementioned problems are overcome by the present invention wherein a dinghy lift is provided that mounts to the stern of the boat hidden from sight beneath the swim platform. The dinghy lift includes arms that extend beyond the swim platform and are removable when the dinghy lift is not in use.
In a preferred embodiment, the dinghy lift includes a pair of hydraulic lift assemblies that are mounted to the exterior of the stern beneath the swim platform. Each lift assembly includes a tip assembly that is adapted to removably receive an arm. The tip assembly is mounted to a linkage that moves the arm (and consequently the dinghy) from a substantially level orientation to a slight inward tilt as the arm is raised. Further, the linkage preferably moves the arm (and consequently the dinghy) inwardly toward the swim platform as it is raised.
In a more preferred embodiment, the two hydraulic lift assemblies are interconnected by a cross member assembly. This enhances the structural integrity of the dinghy lift and helps to provide uniform movement of the left and right arms despite any uneven weight distribution.
In an even more preferred embodiment, the dinghy lift includes a remote control that permits operation of the lift from a remote location. The remote control is preferably a conventional UHF remote that permits the dinghy lift to be raised and lowered at the touch of a button.
The present invention provides a simple and effective dinghy lift that is mounted where it is hidden from sight and does not affect boat performance. The removable arms can be installed and removed as needed. The linkage tilts the dinghy inwardly as the arms are raised and moves the dinghy inwardly toward the swim platform as the dinghy is raised. This makes it easier to move between the boat and the dinghy. The remote control permits control of the lift from a remote location, for example, from inside the dinghy. Further, the dinghy lift is relatively inexpensive to install and maintain, requiring only minor modifications to the boat.
These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be readily understood and appreciated by reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the drawings.